Timia is a small town and commune in northern
Niger
Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
, situated at an
oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment[Aïr Mountains
The Aïr Mountains or Aïr Massif (Air Tamajeq language, Tamajăq: ''Ayǝr''; Hausa language, Hausa: Eastern ''Azbin'', Western ''Abzin'') is a triangular massif, located in northern Niger, within the Sahara. Part of the West Sa ...]
,
Agadez Region
Agadez Region is one of the seven regions of Niger. At , it covers more than half of Niger's land area, and is the largest region in the country, as well as the list of the largest country subdivisions by area, largest African state subdivision. ...
,
Arlit Department
Arlit is a department of the Agadez Region in Niger. Its capital lies at the city of Arlit.
As of 2012, the department had a total population of 105,025 people.
Communes
It is divided administratively into the following communes:
*Arlit
...
. Visitors come to the
Tuareg
The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym, depending on variety: ''Imuhaɣ'', ''Imušaɣ'', ''Imašeɣăn'' or ''Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group, traditionally nomadic pastoralists, who principally inhabit th ...
town to see a seasonal
waterfall
A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge
of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...
, a former French
fort
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...
and the nearby ruined town of
Assodé
Assodé was a town in the Aïr Mountains in what is now northern Niger. Founded around the eleventh century, it was long the most important Tuareg town, benefiting from trans-Saharan trade, and declining with it from the eighteenth century. It ...
.
As of 2012, the commune had a total population of 19,076 people.
Timia lies south of
Iferouane
Iferouane (), also spelled Iferouan, is an oasis town and commune in northern Niger, in Agadez Department. It is located northeast of Arlit in the northern Aïr,
in the Ighazar valley
near the Tamgak Range.
Iferouane is also the location of ...
and north of
Agadez
Agadez ( Air Tamajeq: ⴰⴶⴰⴷⴰⵣ, ''Agadaz''), formerly spelled Agadès, is the fifth largest city in Niger, with a population of 110,497 based on the 2012 census. The capital of the eponymous Agadez Region, the city lies in the Sahara ...
. The main town lies around 3 km from a stone
guelta
A guelta (Arabic: قلتة, also transliterated ''qalta'' or ''galta'') is a pocket of water that forms within rock formations in the Sahara, Sahara Desert and Arabian Desert. The term is of Arabic origin and specifically refers to oases that eme ...
oasis, which holds water year round. It is also known for its
fruit tree
A fruit tree is a tree which bears fruit that is consumed or used by animals and humans. All trees that are flowering plants produce fruit, which are the ripened ovaries of flowers containing one or more seeds. In horticultural usage, the te ...
s, an unusual sight in the
Sahara
The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...
n regions of northern Niger.
Gallery
Image:Timia_valley.JPG, The valleys of Timia
Image:Timia_Oasis.JPG, The Oasis of Timia
Image:Timia_Valley_Floor.JPG , In the valley
Image:Well_in_Timia.jpg , Well in Timia
References
Oases of Niger
Tuareg
Agadez Region
Communes of Niger
{{Niger-geo-stub